Just the idea to have to replace a 12k $$ battery pack sends shivers down my spine. I will have to pass on that for now. + the trend with these cars being spy computers on wheels doesn't make it a desirable vehicle for me.
Most major EVs these days have a battery management system built in to keep the battery at the temperature they like to be held at - the Nissan Leaf being the most notable exception, and yes that one does get pretty bad.
Keep in mind that these have a lot less moving parts. You don't have a belt system with an alternator, water pump, A/C compressor (that exists but just plugs into the battery), starter motor, etc. And ICE vehicles aren't immune to expensive repairs if the engine or transmission blows.
And at least a battery generally degrades over time rather than just going kaput all at once. If after 15 or so years my range degrades to the point where I get about half of what it was new (probably a huge exaggeration of degradation in a car with a battery management system) that's still 125 miles. Which you get every day by plugging the car in at home. My baby will be in high school by then, she can drive the Bolt.
The tracking shit fucking sucks (I found the way to turn it off) but it's not inherent to EVs at all.
I wonder how much money it takes to rebuild a blown engine in a new BMW 3-Series nowadays?
Edit: so I went and had a brief look in Google. It looks like they run between $6000 and $12000 depending on how powerful the engine is. So for a base model it would indeed be somewhat cheaper.
The battery is the biggest issue for me. I will not replace my entire car because they won't let us replace the battery.
The cars need to be repairable.
That's not a real concern. The chances of that happening are very close to zero.
I disagree. The amount of articles regarding the subject is substantial. And the battery is lithium, so the battery will degrade. Repairability is a buying point for me.
The battery is warrantied to 100 or 150,000 miles depending on where you live. The number of people who have ever had to replace their batteries is very very small. You're more likely to have to replace your entire engine and transmission on an ICE car. Degradation is not a serious concern with modern evs.
Just the idea to have to replace a 12k $$ battery pack sends shivers down my spine. I will have to pass on that for now. + the trend with these cars being spy computers on wheels doesn't make it a desirable vehicle for me.
Most major EVs these days have a battery management system built in to keep the battery at the temperature they like to be held at - the Nissan Leaf being the most notable exception, and yes that one does get pretty bad.
Keep in mind that these have a lot less moving parts. You don't have a belt system with an alternator, water pump, A/C compressor (that exists but just plugs into the battery), starter motor, etc. And ICE vehicles aren't immune to expensive repairs if the engine or transmission blows.
And at least a battery generally degrades over time rather than just going kaput all at once. If after 15 or so years my range degrades to the point where I get about half of what it was new (probably a huge exaggeration of degradation in a car with a battery management system) that's still 125 miles. Which you get every day by plugging the car in at home. My baby will be in high school by then, she can drive the Bolt.
The tracking shit fucking sucks (I found the way to turn it off) but it's not inherent to EVs at all.
I wonder how much money it takes to rebuild a blown engine in a new BMW 3-Series nowadays?
Edit: so I went and had a brief look in Google. It looks like they run between $6000 and $12000 depending on how powerful the engine is. So for a base model it would indeed be somewhat cheaper.
The battery is the biggest issue for me. I will not replace my entire car because they won't let us replace the battery.
The cars need to be repairable.
That's not a real concern. The chances of that happening are very close to zero.
I disagree. The amount of articles regarding the subject is substantial. And the battery is lithium, so the battery will degrade. Repairability is a buying point for me.
The battery is warrantied to 100 or 150,000 miles depending on where you live. The number of people who have ever had to replace their batteries is very very small. You're more likely to have to replace your entire engine and transmission on an ICE car. Degradation is not a serious concern with modern evs.
https://electrek.co/2023/04/25/tesla-update-battery-degradation/